Tag: Quick Meals

Tex Mex Burrito Bake

In Wisconsin, we are in the beginnings of deer hunting season. The time when deer hunters around the state are taking stock of what is left in their freezer from last season’s successful hunts and figuring out how much meat they need to eat to make room for a new deer or two. At our house, we found we had 40 (FORTY!) pounds of ground venison left. Oh man. Don’t get me wrong, that’s a great problem to have but at the same time, we need to use it up. We have our go to meals: tacos, Korean BBQ Inspired Beef, and pasta. But we are always looking for something new, and man, I think I hit the jackpot in the creation of this stupidly simple Tex Mex Burrito Bake. 

What I adore about this meal is two fold: My family LOVED it. Like, ‘my big kiddo couldn’t get enough’ loved it and it is honestly one of the easiest meals I have put together in a long time. 

Nearly every ingredient is a pantry item at our house. We love tacos so much that it’s a rare day that we don’t have soft shells in our pantry. Salsa is a constant in our fridge and we always have some Mexi-corn in our pantry for Kelly’s Texas Caviar. And I just started keeping Cotija cheese on hand as a great alternative to feta (It’s a Mexican take on a dry salty cheese). If you don’t have it, it’s optional anyway!

This Tex Mex Burrito Bake will be start to finish in under 40 minutes, including its bake time. I know my kids have been requesting it again and again. I hope your family will love it that much too!

Let’s get cooking! 

Your Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil 
  • 1 pound ground protein (I did venison) 
  • 1 cup diced onion (about 2 small)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced 
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Cayenne pepper and salt, to taste
  • 1 14 ounce can Mexicorn (corn with peppers), drained
  • 1 cup salsa, whatever level of heat you prefer
  • 2 cups shredded cheese, divided 
  • 10 fajita style soft tortillas 
  • Cotija cheese, optional 
  • Sour Cream and Cilantro, optional 

You Steps to Tex Mex Burrito Bake

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9×13 glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. 

In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add onions and minced garlic. Cook 3-4 minutes, until just starting to soften. Add ground protein, cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper, cooking until no longer pink. Stir in salsa, Mexi-corn and 1 ½ cups of shredded cheese. Mix until the cheese is melted through and remove from heat. Test the filling, adding salt and pepper as needed.

Spoon ½ cup of filling into each shell and roll up, placing seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Top with additional shredded cheese and Cotija cheese. Bake uncovered for 10-12 minutes. If you like your cheese browned like I do, feel free to turn on the broiler and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, but watch carefully! 

Serve with sour cream and cilantro.

Ground beef and onion mix with..
Mix in the veg
And the cheese
Creamy and delish!
Fill it up!
Roll it up!
Let’s eat!
Dang good!

Tex Mex Burrito Bake

This Tex Mex Burrito Bake is a quick and easy dish that can be made with ingredients you probably already have on hand. It's perfect for a busy weeknight dinner!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Tex Mex
Servings 10 burritos

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound ground protein I did venison
  • 1 cup diced onion about 2 small
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Cayenne pepper to taste
  • 1 14 ounce can Mexicorn corn with peppers, drained
  • 1 cup salsa whatever level of heat you prefer
  • 2 cups shredded cheese divided
  • 10 fajita style soft tortillas
  • Cotija cheese optional
  • Sour Cream and Cilantro optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9×13 glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
  • In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add onions and minced garlic. Cook 3-4 minutes, until just starting to soften.
  • Add ground protein, cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper, cooking until no longer pink.
  • Stir in salsa, Mexicorn and 1 ½ cups of shredded cheese. Mix until the cheese is melted through and remove from heat.
  • Spoon ½ cup of filling into each shell and roll up, placing seam side down in the prepared baking dish.
  • Top with additional shredded cheese and Cotija cheese. Bake uncovered for 10-12 minutes.
  • If you like your cheese browned turn on the broiler and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, but watch carefully!
  • Serve with sour cream and cilantro.
Keyword burritos, family friendly, ground beef, quick meals, Tex Mex, tortillas, venison
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other Great Recipes?

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JessLeave a comment

Homemade Clam Chowder

If you hang out with me on Instagram, you may know that I am part of a collab that cooks from a different cookbook each month. The intent was to use those books that are collecting dust, but for many of us, it has led to us purchasing more books. Ha! For me, it has also led to some new explorations and recipe development. Case in point, this homemade clam chowder. 

A month ago, I had pulled out the first cookbook I ever bought, Betty Crocker’s Big Red Cookbook (okay, that might not be it’s name, but that’s what I am calling it) and in flipping through the pages for our challenge, I stumbled on the clam chowder recipe. That’s one of the Mr’s favorites!

It was super simple; too simple. And when I cook for our cookbook collab, I try my best to stick to the recipe and avoid going rogue, as much as I would like to. That meant I picked different recipes for the collab, but also that it was time for me to play and create my own take on clam chowder. I knew my husband would love it!

Ready to give it a try? Let’s cook together! 

Your Ingredients 

  • 2 cans of clams, reserving the juice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 2 cups diced potatoes
  • 1 ½ cups diced celery
  • 1 teaspoon garlic 
  • 1 cup water 
  • ¼ cup flour 
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 1 cup half and half 
  • 1 ½ cups milk 
  • ½ teaspoon pepper 
  • ½ teaspoon salt 

Your Steps to Homemade Clam Chowder

In a dutch oven (I love my cast iron Dutch oven!), heat olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add onion, potatoes, and celery. Saute for 8-10 minutes, until the onion has softened. Stir in garlic, water, and clam juice. Add additional water to make sure the vegetables are covered, if needed. 

Bring to a boil and simmer the vegetables for ten minutes, until potatoes are soft. Meanwhile, add the butter to a medium skillet on medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour and cook until it starts to just brown. SLOWLY, slowly stir in the half and half, ¼ cup or so at a time. Add salt and pepper. 

Whisk the half and half mixture into the vegetable mixture. Stir in milk and clams and cook until just heated through to prevent the clams from getting chewy. 

Note: If you dig a creamier soup, swap some of the milk for more half and half or use a whole milk rather than something like skim.

Chopped vegetables for homemade clam chowder
Cook down those vegetables.
All those vegetables cooked down.
Simmer them up!
Create the roux
Create the roux while they simmer.
Start adding the cream.
Add the white sauce
Get that white sauce in there.
Completed clam chowder
Simple and delish!
Completed clam chowder

Homemade Clam Chowder

A simple and delicious take on clam chowder that can be put together in under 40 minutes!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course dinner, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cans clams reserving the juice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 2 cups diced potatoes
  • 1 ½ cups diced celery
  • 1 teaspoon garlic
  • 1 cup water
  • ¼ cup flour
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 1 ½ cups milk
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • In a dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add onion, potatoes, and celery. Saute for 8-10 minutes, until the onion has softened.
  • Stir in garlic, water, and clam juice. Add additional water to make sure the vegetables are covered, if needed. Bring to a boil and simmer the vegetables for ten minutes, until potatoes are soft.
  • Meanwhile, add the butter to a medium skillet on medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour and cook until it starts to just brown. SLOWLY, slowly whisk in the half and half, ¼ cup or so at a time. Add salt and pepper.
  • Whisk the half and half mixture into the vegetable mixture. Stir in milk and clams and cook until just heated through to prevent the clams from getting chewy. Serve immediately.

Notes

Note: If you dig a creamier soup, swap some of the milk for more half and half or use a whole milk rather than something like skim.
Keyword cast iron cooking, clam chowder, clams, cream soup, fall eats, Potatoes, sides, soup, soups and stews, winter eats
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other recipes?

Might I suggest some of my other favorite soups and stews and a dessert or two! Or you can head right to my Baking or Cooking page for more inspiration.

JessLeave a comment

Air Fryer Southwest Chicken Skillet

I don’t know about you, but our air fryer is perpetually on the countertop during the summer. I’ll be honest, eight times out of ten, I am making homemade fries (SO GOOD!), but sometimes I am cooking protein in it. I love cooking up chicken in all sorts of ways. I dig chicken thighs, chicken breasts, you name it. But one of my favorite ways to cook up chicken is when it’s marinated and cut into bitesize pieces. This Air Fryer Southwest Chicken Skillet is a great way to do just that! 

Reasons I love this recipe? It’s FULL of color and flavor. Don’t skip the cilantro or onions (as long as you aren’t an ‘it tastes like soap’ kind of guy or gal. Man, my heart hurts for you. I could eat cilantro by the bucket!) It adds so much. 

It preps up SO fast with minimal dishes. The chicken gets marinated in a baggy and goes in the air fryer. Everything else goes straight in the skillet! You don’t even need much of a cutting board if you have scissors for the onions and cilantro. It sure made my dishwasher (my 12 year old kiddo) happy to see that I didn’t create a pile of dishes for him. 

Now, I went lighter on the spicy factor here. If you want some extra kick, feel free to top with some sliced jalapeño too! Also, no air fryer? No problem! You can easily cook up the chicken with the rice or on the side. I just like the texture the air fryer brings to the party.

Your Ingredients for Air Fryer Southwest Chicken Skillet 

  • 1 ½ pounds chicken breast, cubed into bitesize pieces
  • 1 cup long grain white rice
  • 1 can unsalted diced tomatoes
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1 cup shredded cheese
  • Fresh cilantro and green onions, optional 
  • Salt and pepper to taste 

Seasoning: 

One teaspoon each of:

  • chili powder
  • ground coriander
  • ground cumin 
  • paprika

One half teaspoon each of:

  • salt
  • garlic powder 
  • oregano 

Dash of cayenne pepper, to taste 

Your Steps to Air Fryer Southwest Chicken Skillet

Combine the spices to create a seasoning mix for the chicken. Reserve ½ tablespoon and set aside for seasoning the rice. 

Mix the rest of the seasoning with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon water. Place the cubed chicken in a plastic bag. Pour the seasoning mixture over the chicken, massaging it into pieces. Seal and allow to marinate in the refridgerator for at least 3 hours. 

When you are ready to cook the chicken, start the rice according to the package directions. Once the water is boiling, add rice and the diced tomatoes, black beans, frozen corn, and reserved seasoning blend. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. 

Meanwhile, preheat an air fryer to 380 degrees. Spray with cooking spray. Cook chicken for 10-15 minutes, tossing once or twice. 

Immediately after the rice mixture is done cooking, top with shredded cheese and cover, removing from heat. Serve once the cheese has melted, topping with chicken, cilantro, and sliced green onions. 

Spices make me happy!
Marinate it up!
Cook it up!
Almost there!
That chicken though!
Add the cheese…
And some cilantro.
Chicken on top!
And served.

Looking for other recipes?

Give my cooking page a try! Or maybe you need to add a sweet treat to your dinner? Baking is the way to go!

Southwest Chicken Skillet

Air Fryer Southwest Chicken Skillet

The use of an air fryer and a skillet make this dish a cinch to make! Minimal dishes and full of flavor, you're sure to love this air fryer Southwest Chicken Skillet
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Marinate 3 hours
Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American, Southwest
Servings 6 servings

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ pounds chicken breast cubed into bitesize pieces
  • 1 cup long grain white rice
  • 1 can unsalted diced tomatoes
  • 1 can black beans rinsed
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1 cup shredded cheese
  • Fresh cilantro and green onions optional
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Seasoning

  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • Dash of cayenne pepper

Instructions
 

  • Combine seasoning mix. Reserve ½ tablespoon and set aside for seasoning the rice.
  • Mix the remaining seasoning mix with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon water. Place the cubed chicken in a plastic bag. Pour the seasoning mixture over the chicken, massaging it into pieces. Seal and allow to marinate for at least 3 hours.
  • When you are ready to cook the chicken, start the rice according to the package directions. Once the water is boiling, add rice and the diced tomatoes, black beans, frozen corn, and reserved seasoning blend. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
  • Meanwhile, preheat an air fryer to 380 degrees. Spray with cooking spray. Cook chicken for 10-15 minutes, tossing once or twice.
  • Immediately after the rice mixture is done cooking, top with shredded cheese and cover, removing from heat. Serve once the cheese has melted, topping with chicken, cilantro, and sliced green onions.
Keyword 30 minute meals, air fryer, chicken, rice, skillet, Southwest, Tex Mex
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Korean BBQ Inspired Beef and Broccoli

This Korean BBQ Inspired Beef with Broccoli has been are recipe that has hung out on my Instagram page for a long time and is an ultimate go to dinner for our family when time is short. Sitting down together for meals is incredibly important to everyone in our house, but basketball, baseball, barre classes, and the like can make that challenging. This complete meal can be done in under 25 minutes (depending on your rice) and provides a healthy and nutritious meal everyone can love!

What I love best about it (besides the flavor of course!) is that it truly can be a pantry meal that gets thrown together last minute. We are a hunting family which means our freezer is full of home-ground venison, which is what we use in place of ground beef 90% of the time. We always have Minute Rice on hand (they make a great brown rice), and if we don’t have fresh broccoli, we will definitely have some frozen. As long as we don’t run out of the sauce ingredients, we are golden and can make this any day of the week. 

Also, I ADORE these steamer bags by Ziploc. It allows us to quickly cook up some broccoli (fresh or frozen) without heating up the house. We use them for cooking vegetables on a regular basis!

Ready to get cooking?! Let’s go! 

Your Ingredients For Korean BBQ Inspired Beef and Broccoli 

  • 1 pound ground protein (beef, venison, turkey)
  • ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
  • ⅛ cup water
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger 
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil 
  • Red pepper flakes, to taste 
  • 3 cloves garlic 
  • 4-6 servings brown rice, cooked 
  • Two heads of broccoli, chopped into bite size pieces (four servings frozen broccoli florets) 
  • Sesame seeds 

Your Steps 

Over medium heat, brown protein, adding oil as needed. Venison benefits from a ½ tablespoon of olive oil in the pan to help keep it from sticking. Meanwhile, steam broccoli and cook instant brown rice if you haven’t already. 

I highly recommend these Ziploc steam bags for all things vegetables. I think we cook our vegetables in these bags 2-3 times a week for simplicities sake. They are amazing and come with timings for all types of food, fresh and frozen! I dig any kind of instant brown rice and have also fallen in love with frozen, par-cooked rice for those busy nights! 

While your meat is browning and rice and broccoli are cooking, mix your sauce. I like to add the liquids in a 1 cup liquid measuring cup and then add the rest of the spices. Don’t skip the sesame oil! It makes the dish! 

Once the meat is cooked, drain if necessary. Pour sauce over the browned protein, cooking over medium for 4-5 minutes, until slightly thickened. 

Serve protein over rice, topped with steamed broccoli and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Good luck having any left overs! 

Mix up the sauce!
Add it to the browned protein.
Top it off!
Get in my belly!

Korean BBQ Inspired Beef and Broccoli

Dinner in under 25 minutes is possible with this complete meal of Korean Inspired BBQ Beef served with broccoli over rice.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound ground protein beef, venison, turkey
  • ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
  • ⅛ cup water
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • Red pepper flakes to taste
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 4-6 servings brown rice cooked
  • Two heads of broccoli chopped into bite size pieces (four servings frozen broccoli florets)
  • Sesame seeds

Instructions
 

  • Over medium heat, brown protein, adding oil as needed. Venison benefits from a ½ tablespoon of olive oil in the pan to help keep it from sticking.
  • Meanwhile, steam broccoli and cook instant brown rice if you haven’t already.
  • While the meat is browning and rice and broccoli are cooking, mix your sauce.
  • Once the meat is cooked, drain if necessary. Pour sauce over the browned protein, cooking over medium for 4-5 minutes, until slightly thickened.
  • Serve protein over rice, topped with steamed broccoli and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Good luck having any left overs!

Notes

I like to add the liquids in a 1 cup liquid measuring cup and then add the rest of the spices. Don’t skip the sesame oil! It makes the dish! 
Keyword broccoli, Brown Rice, ground beef, quick meals
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other delicious dinner inspirations?

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Jess3 Comments

Chicken and Quinoa Skillet

I don’t know about you, but I adore quinoa. I feel like it’s the grown up version of rice, maybe? It cooks quicker, is chock full of nutrients, and is such a blank canvas for your food artistry. Mix in some freshly cooked vegetables, seasoned, cooked chicken and you have this quick and easy dinner: Chicken and Quinoa Skillet. 

This isn’t a meal that my family necessarily meal plans. It’s a “Hey look! I have chicken and quinoa and all the veggies that go in that skillet! Let’s make that tonight for a quick meal!” kind of meal. Okay, I declared this a quick meal so let’s stop with the talking and get to the cooking!

Your INgredients:

  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and uncooked
  • 2 cups water (or chicken stock)
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bit size pieces
  • ½ teaspoon each of pepper, salt onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika, mixed together
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 4 cups chopped broccoli (about 1 head, if you include the stem)
  • 2 cups chopped tomatoes (I used my frozen roasted cherry tomatoes from the summer–recipe to come soon!)
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • pinch of red pepper flakes and additional salt and pepper, to taste

Your Steps:

Add quinoa and water to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes, uncovered, until all the water has absorbed. Fluff with a fork when finished and allow to rest. 

Meanwhile, season chicken with half of the seasoning mixture. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a larger skillet. Once hot, add chicken. Cook for 8-12 minutes, until just cooked through. Avoid over stirring to allow the chicken to crisp up just a little. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds before stirring in remaining ingredients (broccoli, tomatoes, corn, pepper flakes, and remaining seasoning mixture). Cook until broccoli is hot throughout, approximately 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in quinoa. Add additional salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. Enjoy!

Seasons in a bowl make me happy.
Cut and season the chicken!
1 cup chopped tomatoes, frozen or fresh diced.
Cook the fresh vegetables and chicken on medium-high heat….
…mix in the quinoa and dinner is served!

I love it because its simple and full of flavor and color. Bonus: We don’t typically meal plan this one. It just comes together as “often in our house” pantry items. Don’t dig chicken? You can totally substitute in a different protein. Yum! 

Looking for a different dinner idea? Check out my cooking page here!

Chicken and Quinoa Skillet

Chicken and Quinoa Skillet

Chicken and Quinoa Skillet. A "full of veggie meal" for a quick, clean, and full of flavor meal for any day of the week! Done in under 30 minutes! Win!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup quinoa rinsed and uncooked
  • 2 cups water or chicken stock
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bit size pieces
  • ½ teaspoon each of pepper salt onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika, mixed together
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 4 cups chopped broccoli about 1 head, if you include the stem
  • 2 cups chopped tomatoes
  • pinch of red pepper flakes and additional salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Add quinoa and water to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes, uncovered, until all the water has absorbed. Fluff with a fork when finished and allow to rest.
  • Meanwhile, season chicken with half of the seasoning mixture.
  • Heat oil over medium-high heat in a larger skillet. Once hot, add chicken.
  • Cook for 8-12 minutes, until just cooked through. Avoid over stirring to allow the chicken to crisp up just a little.
  • Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds before stirring in remaining ingredients (broccoli, tomatoes, corn, pepper flakes, and remaining seasoning mixture). Cook until broccoli is hot throughout, approximately 5-8 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and stir in quinoa. Add additional salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. Enjoy!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment